I got my TDN Sunday night and started scanning through the stakes results worldwide when it hit me again, just based on one night’s results, how powerful the influence of Coolmore’s Sadler’s Wells is worldwide!
Let’s start off in the U.S., so I can kill two birds with one stone. It’s the Grade 3 Cinema Handicap at Hollywood on the turf at 1 1/8 miles Sunday. Arcodoro (Click here to view pedigree) is the lone speed in the race, but he gets nailed by a length by the British import Oil Man. Well, Arcodoro is a son of Medaglia d’Oro, whose 7 unrestricted SWs to date have all been fillies, but he looked like he was going to break the streak for the colts. In fact, it was the second time in the last 10 days that a Medaglia d’Oro colt looked like he was going to break through. On June 13, in the G3 Northern Dancer at Churchill Downs, Warrior’s Reward (Click here to view pedigree), as the 4/5 favorite, just missed by a head! Maybe next time, boys! (I’ll add that on Saturday, in a restricted stakes for PA-breds at Presque Isle downs on the all weather, the Medaglia d’Oro colt Anaan [Click here to view pedigree] also ran second!)
Back to Sadler’s Wells, Medaglia d’Oro is a son of the Sadler’s Wells stallion El Prado, who’s been flying the lone flag for his sire in the U.S. Now, you can add the emerging Medaglia d’Oro, who was purchased by Darley and no doubt will get even better mares in the years to come.
Back to the winner of the Cinema Handicap, Oil Man (Click here to view pedigree). His dam, So Precious, is by Batshoof, a son of Sadler’s Wells!
Next up, the G3 Highlander at Woodbine at 6f on the all weather. The winner isSmart Enough (Click here to view pedigree), a gelding by South African-bred Horse Chestnut, a son of the Sadler’s Wells stallion Fort Wood, a big shot in South Africa!
Let’s take this show on the road to Chile. On Saturday, the 2-year-old Chilean-bred filly Mensajera de la Luz (Click here to view pedigree) won the G1 Clasico Tanteo de Potrancas at Hipodromo Chile over 1500 meters (7 1/2f) over a muddy track. She’s by the stallion Election Day – a son of Sadler’s Wells!
How about Germany? The German-bred 3-year-old colt Serienhoehe (Click here to view pedigree) won the Listed Race SWB Derby Trial, a prep for the G1 German Derby July 5, at Bremen over 1 5/16 miles on turf. He’s by the up-and-coming Coolmore star High Chaparral – you guessed it, a son of Sadler’s Wells! (High Chaparral is Europe’s 4th leading sire of unrestricted SWs in 2009 with 6) This colt has now won 3 of 4 starts and could be a player in the Derby gainst the undefeated Monsun colt and the German-bred Dynaformer colt.
And finally to Britain. Furmigadelagiusta (Click here to view pedigree) won the Toteswinger Pontefract Castle Stakes, a Listed Race, at 12f and 8 yards on the turf. He’s by Galileo, and you don’t need an introduction to him! Galileo is Coolmore’s heir (along with Montjeu) to Sadler’s Wells, and years from now I’m positive we’ll be waxing poetic about his exploits. (Galileo is currently tied as the leading sire of unrestricted SWs in 2009 with 11. Who is he tied with? None other than Sadler’s Wells!)
What is truly amazing about these results is the diversity of countries, distances, and racing surfaces involved. And let’s not forget that last Thursday at Ascot, the old man himself made history when his 8-year-old son Yeats (Click here to view pedigree) won the G1 Gold Cup at 2½ miles for the fourth year in a row! I can guarantee you that we will never see that again!
Footnote: While penning this piece this morning, I received the following TDN Alert: El Prado’s Golden Century takes the G3 Prix Daphnis! (Click here to view Golden Century’s pedigree). A fitting end to this blog!